JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Late Monday U.S. Presidents Cup captain Steve Stricker huddled with his assistant captains to discuss a crucial issue. Pin positions? No. Possible pairings? Nope. Instead, the U.S. team wanted to talk about what to do this week when the national anthem is played at Liberty National. The controversy that was sparked by President Donald Trump’s comments last week and the ensuing reaction from the world of sports prompted Stricker to bring his players and coaches into the conversation and after a team meeting early Tuesday he said they all agreed to stand for the national anthem. “There were no issues on our part,” Stricker said. “We had a good talk and we all realized that there

Steve Williams, Tiger Woods’ erstwhile caddie who most recently looped for Adam Scott, is taking his skills to the LPGA Tour. The veteran bagman — who handed the sticks to Woods for 12 years and has been by Scott’s side in an on-again, off-again role since he and Woods had a less than amicable split in 2011 — will handle caddie duties for U.S. player Danielle Kang at this week’s New Zealand Women’s Open, according to the New Zealand Herald. First as a full-time caddie and lately as a part-timer for Scott in his semi-retirement, the native Kiwi will make his debut on the women’s circuit before hooking up with the 2013 Masters winner for their swan song in two Asian events in October. "I've never

Matthew Southgate was lining up a putt at the DAP Championship - a Web.com Tour event - and just as he tapped his ball, a little leaf blew over and hit it. If a player's ball in motion after a stroke on the putting green is deflected or stopped by, or comes to rest in or on, any moving or animate outside agency, except a worm, insect or the like, the stroke is canceled. Southgate didn't replace or replay the shot and finished his round, so he was given a four-stroke penalty - two for violating Rule 19-1b and a pair for signing a wrong scorecard. Southgate entered the DAP Championship at ninth in the Web.com Finals - the four-tournament series where the top 25 money winners, not already exempt, earn PGA Tour cards for the following season.